Challenging the topics of interracial friendship, immigration, and racism by taking them into the 9th and 10th grade classroom. An analysis of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie´s Americanah and Roald Dahl´s The Big Friendly Giant and how to teach them in secondary school

Abstract

This thesis examines two literary works, Roald Dahl´s children´s fiction book, The Big Friendly Giant, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie´s realistic fiction novel, Americanah. It explores how these books can be used to teach students in secondary school about topics such as racism, immigration, prejudiced behavior, and stereotypes, as well as interracial friendship. Kelly Oliver´s theory on subjectivity and subject position is used to explain the changes that characters from both books experience in the society they find themselves in, and as they develop new friendships. By using these two books, which differ in length and level of language, teachers can more easily adapt the learning situation. The teaching methods presented in this thesis have been carefully planned with regards to the interdisciplinary topic of Democracy and Citizenship, which can be found in the Core Curriculum of LK20, as well as the English curriculum for secondary school (ENG01-04). By conducting research in 9th and 10th grade using a variety of methods, it was possible for me as a teacher to see if these approaches were effective in the classroom. The results of the research conducted in a secondary school in Norway demonstrate how this way of teaching, with a few modifications, can be recommended for further use in the future.